Stories
Y-12 volunteers receive national awards
Volunteers prepare sites for new picnic tables and grills as part of Y‑12 Help to the Smokies program.
During Y‑12’s 10-year partnership with the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, employees have contributed more than 10,000 hours of labor and buckets of sweat equity. Earlier this year, BWXT Y‑12 was awarded the prestigious Department of the Interior Take Pride in America Presidential Award and the National Park Service (NPS) Volunteer Accessibility Achievement Award. Nationwide, the NPS honors only four volunteer contributors annually.
Bob Hawthorne and Al Roberson of Facilities, Infrastructure and Services coordinate the Y‑12 Help to the Smokies program. Usually 25-40 employees volunteer for 1-day projects each spring, summer and fall, and BWXT Y‑12 makes an annual grant commitment to purchase construction materials.
“BWXT Y‑12 is a valuable partnership, and the changes that they have made over the years are lasting contributions that will serve the Park and its millions of visitors for many decades to come,” Smokies Superintendent Dale Ditmanson said.